Truck shell

ABSTRACT

A molded truck shell having side walls hinged along the top of the shell, allowing the entire side wall to pivot upwardly and outwardly, providing increased access to cargo stored in a truck bed. Additional lateral seams between the side wall and shell are located on the front and rear of the shell rather than on the side of the shell thereby further increasing the opening into the truck bed and creating a visually clean appearance. Water penetrating through the side wall hinge line is directed away from the interior of the truck bed by a moisture flange that conducts the water to the exterior of the truck.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/022,030, filed Dec. 14, 2001 issued Jul. 8, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No.6,588,819 which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 2. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a shell accessory for a pick up truck.More specifically, a truck shell is disclosed that allows the entireside of the shell to be opened to allow greater truck bed access thanhas previously been available.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Pick up trucks are a unique vehicle in the sense that they havean open bed in which all sorts of loads may be carried. The truck bed isdefined as the cargo carrying area beginning immediately behind thetruck cab, defined laterally by the side walls of the vehicle, and beingbounded at the rear by a tailgate. The advantage a truck provides overother types of vehicles, in addition to sheer cargo volume, is theability to easily access the cargo being carried in the truck bed. Thebed is generally exposed, which allows access from all areas outside thetruck by merely reaching over the side of the truck and into the truckbed. However, unrestricted access to the truck bed becomes a drawbackwhen carrying environmentally sensitive or valuable cargo.

[0006] Consequently, truck owners may desire to cover, and oftentimesprotect, the cargo carried in a truck bed. A popular way of covering atruck bed is installing an after-market truck shell. A truck shell is arigid covering that encloses the truck bed from just behind the truckcab to the tailgate, thus creating an enclosed space. Oftentimes, thetruck shell is made to conform to the shape and aesthetics of the truckto which it is attached.

[0007] One disadvantage of truck shells is that they limit access to thearticles that are stored in the bed of the truck. Generally, access tothe back of the truck is provided, in most truck shells, through a rearaccess door or opening which often comprises a transparent window thatis hinged at its top such that it can be opened and thus provides accessto the rear of the truck bed. The access is further enhanced when thetruck's tailgate is lowered. The rear access door of traditional shellscomprises the entire rear wall of the shell, thus allowing unrestrictedaccess through the back of the truck when both the rear access door andtailgate are opened.

[0008] However, access to cargo items not located immediately in theback of the truck is still limited. In particular, when the articlesthat are needed to be accessed are positioned in the bed closer to thefront end of the bed of the truck, the user must typically climb intothe bed of the truck to retrieve the articles. This can, of course, be asignificant inconvenience.

[0009] To address this problem, many shells are equipped with sideopenings that allow access to the bed of the truck via the side. Theseside openings are often in the form of hinged windows that are formed inthe center of the side walls. Typically, the hinged windows are mountedin the center of the side walls so as to maintain the structuralintegrity of the side wall. However, windows that are formed in the sidewall are typically smaller in size than the side wall such that accessto all parts of the bed is at least partially obstructed by the sidewalls of the shell.

[0010] Moreover, side windows in shells can also be subject to waterintrusion. Oftentimes, water can intrude into the interior of thevehicle through the seams between the hinged window and the surroundingshell structure. Of course, inhibiting water from entering the interiorof the bed is one of the reasons pick up truck owners position shells ontruck beds in the first place. To limit water intrusion, shellmanufacturers often limit the size of the windows to limit the length ofthe seams and also generally position the hinges and seams on the sidesurface where water is less likely to intrude through the shell into theinterior of the truck bed.

[0011] Hence, from the foregoing, there is an ongoing need for animproved shell design that allows for better access to the bed of a pickup truck while still inhibiting water intrusion into the bed of the pickup truck. To this end, there is provided an improved shell design thatallows for greater side access to the bed of the truck while stilllimiting water intrusion wherein the side access is provided in a lessobtrusive manner.

SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] In one aspect, the doors are dimensioned to be at least as longas the side walls such that the interface between the doors and the sidewalls is positioned adjacent to the front and rear lateral edges of theside walls. In another aspect, the hinged attachment of the doors to thetruck shell is formed adjacent the roof of the truck shell to furtherimprove access and inhibit water intrusion.

[0013] Thus, in one embodiment, a truck shell is provided that providesan improved shell design that allows increased truck bed access byproviding an openable door that covers a side wall of the shell. Theside wall has an opening formed therein that is exposed upon opening ofthe door, thereby granting access to the truck bed. In one embodiment, alip surrounds the periphery of the side wall opening and is contoured todirect water away from the opening and thus inhibits water from enteringinto the truck bed via the openings.

[0014] Thus, the truck shell of the present invention provides betteraccess to the interior of the bed as the access openings can be madelarger due to the larger size of the doors. Moreover, in one aspect, thepositioning of the hinged interconnection between the door and the roofpermits improved access and the use of lips extending outward from theopenings inhibits water entry. These and other objects and advantageswill become more apparent from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presenttruck shell mounted to a pick up truck.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the presenttruck shell mounted to a pick up truck with the side walls and rear wallopen.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a side view of one embodiment of the present truckshell.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a rear view of one embodiment of the present truck shelldetailing the rear seam lines of the outer side walls.

[0019]FIG. 5 is a front view of one embodiment of the present truckshell detailing the front seam lines of the outer side walls;

[0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an outer side wall in its openposition and details the moisture flange and support struts.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a close-up perspective view of the support wall andmoisture flange.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The truck shell is now described with respect to certainpreferred embodiments and with reference to the attached drawingswherein like reference numerals are used to designate like partsthroughout.

[0023] Referencing FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present truck shell isshown mounted to a bed of a pick up truck. Pick up trucks vary widely insize and shape between manufacturers, and between models of a singlemanufacturer. Consequently, each truck shell must be designed and moldedfor a specific model of truck. Hence, the description of the truck shellherein will be adaptable to all specific embodiments of truck shells.

[0024] The truck shell 100 is shown mounted to a pick up truck 102 in aconventional manner. The shell 100 may be mounted by bolts, clamps, orany other suitable mechanism as is generally known in the art. The shellis defined by opposing side walls 104, a rear wall 106, a top ceilingsurface or roof 108, and a front wall 206 (FIG. 2). The bottom of theshell 109 rests on the rails 111 of the truck bed sides 110 and createsa bottom seam 112 around the side walls 104 and front wall 206 of theshell 100. Generally, the top of the truck bed sides 110, or rails 111,are relatively flat which provide a mating surface for the bottom of theshell 109. Preferably, there is a compressible gasket (not shown)between the mating surfaces of the truck and shell to protect the finishof both surfaces as well as provide a seal to inhibit wind and waterfrom entering the truck bed.

[0025] The rear wall 106 is attached to the shell 100 via a pair ofcooperating hinges 116, as is known in the art, and is not supported bythe tail gate 124, but rather, overlaps the tailgate 124 with a flexiblerear sealing member 114 to allow water runoff to drain down the tailgate124 exterior to the truck bed. The hinge arrangement allows the rearwall 106 to open upward and outward without interfering with thetailgate 124 as will be shown and described in later detail.

[0026] The side walls 104 in this embodiment are preferably providedwith generous side windows 122, which combine with the rear wall 106 toallow the driver to view traffic out of all sides of the truck. Theseside windows 122 additionally allow viewing of the contents of the truckbed from outside the truck. The side walls 104 and rear wall 106 areopenable via a pull latch 118, 120, respectively. The pull latches 118,120 allow the shell to be opened for fast and easy access to cargostored in the truck bed as will be described below.

[0027] Referring generally to FIG. 2, the shell 100 is shown with bothside walls 104 and the rear wall 106 in an open configuration. The sidewalls are comprised of a support wall 202 and an outer side wall 204. Indescribing the embodiment pictured in FIG. 1, the general term “sidewall”, referenced by numeral 104, was used to refer to the combinationof the support wall 202 and outer side walls 204, which, in someembodiments, may be considered a door. The support walls 202 and outerside walls 204 will now be referenced individually hereinafter. Thesupport wall 202, in conjunction with the top ceiling 108 and the frontwall 206, defines a supporting frame giving the shell 100 its structuralsupport.

[0028] As is illustrated in FIGS. 2 AND 6, each of the support walls 202includes a first and second vertical support section 802 a, 802 b thatare attached to the top ceiling 108 and are adapted to be positioned onthe rail 111 of the truck bed. The first and second vertical supportsections 802 a, 802 b are positioned at the lateral edges 803 a, 803 bof the support walls 202 adjacent the rear window 106 and front wall 206respectively. Each of the support walls 202 further include a lowerlateral section 804 and an upper lateral section 806 that interconnectsthe first and second vertical support sections 802 a, 802 b. The lowerlateral section 804 defines the bottom edge 109 that is positioned onthe rail 111 of the truck bed. The upper lateral section 806 is attachedto the ceiling section 108 and is generally perpendicular thereto so asto provide a mounting location for the hinges that attach the outer sidewall 204 to the support wall 202, as will be described below.

[0029] As is understood, the support sections, 802 a, 802 b, 804 and 806are preferably molded so as to be integrally attached to each other inthis embodiment. Collectively, they are contoured so as to define anaccess opening 810 through which access to the interior of the truck bedcan be obtained. As is illustrated, the opening 810 extendssubstantially along the length of the side walls 104 so as to permitaccess to substantially all of the length of the truck bed. Both thelength and width of the openings 810 can be increased as a result of themanner in which the movable side walls 204 are attached to the rest ofthe shell 100.

[0030] In particular, the outer side wall or door 204 includes agenerally planar surface 711 that defines the window 122. Inwardlyextending flanges 212, 214 are positioned at the front and rear lateraledges of the generally planar surface 711. The inwardly extendingflanges 212, 214 extend in a direction that is perpendicular to theplane of the generally planar surface 711 in the manner shown in FIG. 6and the outer side wall 204 is preferably dimensioned such that theinwardly extending flanges 212, 214 are positioned adjacent the rear 106and the front 206 of the truck shell 100 when the outer side wall 204 isin the closed position shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 further illustrates thatthat an upper inwardly extending lateral section 714 is positioned on anupper edge 715 of the planar surface 711 of the outer sidewall 204. Amounting surface 710 is preferably positioned at the end of the inwardlyextending section 714. As is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sidewalls 204 of the shell 100 are generally slanted outward so as to befarther apart at the bottom edge than at the edge adjacent the ceilingsection 108. To achieve a more aerodynamic shape, the inwardly upperextending lateral section 714 of the movable walls 204 a, 204 b extendsinward such that the mounting surface 710 can be attached to a verticalmounting surface 712 of the ceiling section 108 thereby positioning theseamed interface between the outer side wall 204 and the truck shell 100adjacent the ceiling section 108 rather than on the side wall 104.

[0031] The outer side wall 204 is hingedly attached at its upper edge bya pair of cooperating hinges 208 that define a side wall hinge line 210.As shown in FIG. 2, and more specifically in FIG. 6, the outer side wall204 has a surface 710 that mates with a mounting surface 712 of theceiling 108, to form an interface therebetween when the outer side wall204 is in a closed configuration (FIG. 1). In the closed position asillustrated in FIG. 1, the mounting surface 710 of the outer side wall204 is aligned so as to be parallel with the vertical mounting surface712 of the ceiling section 108. Since the ceiling section 108 isgenerally vertically positioned, the interface 210 defined by the hingesis generally positioned on the ceiling surface 108 of the shell ratherthan on the side surface thereby reducing the visibility of theinterface.

[0032] In one embodiment, the hinge 208 is made up of two mountingportions 708 rotatably connected by a pin (not shown), as is known inthe art. The mounting halves are securely mounted, such as by screws, tothe outer side wall mounting surface 710 and top ceiling mountingsurface 712, thus allowing the outer side wall 204 to pivot about thehinge line 210 created along the longitudinal axis of the hinges 208. Inan alternate embodiment, a single hinge may be used to pivotally connectthe outer side wall 204 and top ceiling 108. Alternatively, a pluralityof discrete hinges may pivotally connect the components.

[0033] With continued reference to FIGS. 2 and 6, the front most part ofthe outer side wall 204 toward the truck cab includes an inward flange212 that is generally perpendicular to the main planar surface of theouter side wall 204 and is adjacent to the front wall 206 (See FIG. 5).Likewise, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear of the outer side wall 204includes an inward flange 214 that is generally perpendicular to theplanar direction of the outer side wall 204 and is adjacent to theclosed rear wall 106. In this way, the lateral seams of the outer sidewall 204 are located on the front and rear of the shell 100, and thus,are not visible from a side view of the shell 100. By extending theouter side wall or door 204 so as to extend beyond the support walls202, the length of the opening in the support wall 202 can be lengthenedthereby increasing the access to the interior of the pick up truck bed.

[0034] One motivation for installing a truck shell is to prevent waterfrom entering the truck bed and possibly damage articles carriedtherein. However, in creating a hinge connection between the supportwall 202 and outer side wall 204 there will usually be a gaptherebetween to accommodate the hinge 208. The effect of allowing a gap,especially when the hinge line 210 is positioned adjacent the topceiling 108, is that water may be free to drain through the gapseparating the top ceiling 108 and outer side wall 204, and possiblyenter the cargo area of the pick up truck. The gap may be reduced byforming recesses in the outer side wall surface 710 and top ceilingmounting surface 712 dimensioned to receive the hinge mounting portions708. Additionally, a barrier, such as a gasket or weather strip, may bepositioned in the gap to further aid in inhibiting water penetration.

[0035] Nevertheless, water may still occasionally penetrate through theside wall hinge line 210. For this reason, among others, a moistureflange 216 is provided which creates a trough that directs any wateraway from the window cutout area and to the exterior of the truck bed.

[0036] As more particularly depicted in reference to FIG. 7, themoisture flange 216 is defined by the support wall 202 along one edge,and a trough which terminates at an opposing lip edge 805 located adistance away from the support wall 202. As is illustrated in FIGS. 6AND 7, the moisture flange 216 includes a first and second side members830 a, 830 b that extend generally perpendicularly outward from thefirst and second support sections 802 a, 802 b. A top member 832 and abottom member 834 extend between the first and second side members 830a, 830 b and extend generally perpendicularly outward from the upper andlower lateral sections 806, 804 respectively. As illustrated, the sidemembers 830 a, 830 b are tapered such that at the upper end 832, theside members 830 a, 830 b are wider. This results in the opening 810being generally planar and thereby accounts for the angle of the supportsections 802 a, 802 b.

[0037] The top member 832 of the moisture flange 216 is shaped such thatit is concave from the upper lateral support 806 to the lip edge 805,thus forming a trough shape. It is further shaped such that anycollected water will egress out of either end of the moisture flange 216rather than pool at the base of the concavity. The water egress isfurther encouraged by the rake angle at which the moisture flange 216 isoriented by virtue of being mounted to a pick up truck. A rake angle isformed by a vehicle's stance based on the vehicle's design. The rakeangle may be altered by after market tires, shocks, or “trick kits” forlifting or lowering the vehicle's ground clearance, among other things.The result is that the moisture flange will likely be oriented at aforward or rearward angle sufficient to direct the collected water outof the moisture flange 216 and down the support wall 202. Of course, anangle could also be designed into the moisture flange 216.

[0038] To further direct the egress of water away from the truck bed,the support wall 202 is configured such that it terminates at a lowerextremity that is substantially even with the outer edge of the truckbed as shown in FIG. 2, and the water is allowed to flow harmlessly tothe exterior of the truck bed. The overall result is a trough thatcaptures and directs the penetrating water flow down the support walland to the exterior of the truck bed, thus inhibiting water fromentering the truck bed and potentially damaging any articles carriedtherein.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, a sealing member 218, such as agasket, is attached to the lip 805 of the moisture flange 216. Thesealing member 218 may be attached to the moisture flange 216 by anyknown manner, for example adhesive, heat bonding, friction, or the like.The outer side wall 204 and moisture flange 216 are configured such thatthe outer sidewall 204 contacts the sealing member 218 when closed tocreate a substantially watertight seal. The outer side wall 204 ismovable between an open and closed position. The range of motion in theopen direction of the outer side wall 204 is constrained by either therange of motion of the hinges, the maximum extended length of thesupport struts 222, or both. The outer side wall's 204 maximum range ofmotion toward the closed position is reached when the outer side wall204 is fully closed. The fully closed position occurs when the outerside wall 204 is latched into position, as will be discussed in greaterdetail hereinafter. The moisture flange 216 is configured such that thesealing member 218 contacts the outer side wall 204 when the outer sidewall 204 is fully closed. To create the substantially watertight seal,it is preferable that the sealing member becomes slightly compressedupon engaging the outer side wall 204.

[0040] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 6, a transparent window 122 may beintegrated into the outer side wall 204 to cooperate with the windowcutout area defined by the periphery of the moisture flange 216. Thewindow is preferably sized and positioned such that the window 122 atleast fills the window cutout area 810. In one embodiment, glass is usedfor the window 122.

[0041] To gain access to cargo in the truck bed, the outer side wall 204is opened thus exposing the opening 810 and granting access to the truckbed. Once the outer side wall 204 is opened, it is preferable tomaintain it in this position so that a person may access the truck bedwithout having to hold the outer side wall 204 in position. Toaccomplish this, a support strut 222 may be utilized. One end of thesupport strut is preferably mounted to the inner side wall 202 in aconventional manner, such as by screws, bolts, or rivets, while theopposite end of the support strut 222 is fastened to the outer side wall204 in a similar manner. A support strut may comprise a cylindercontaining either gas, a spring, or both, and a piston slidable withinthe cylinder. As the outer side wall 204 is closed, the piston is forcedthrough the cylinder, thus compressing either the spring or gas. In thismanner, the strut 222 is biased in a fully extended position by a springforce, or by the compressive resistance of the contained fluid. Theouter side wall 204 is biased into an open position by the support strut222, as shown, such that when the pull latch 118 is actuated, the outerside wall 204 raises with little or no additional effort. Preferably,this biasing force is balanced against the weight of the outer side wall204 and does not require a great deal of effort to overcome tosubsequently lower and close the outer side wall 204.

[0042] As can be seen in FIG. 2, easy access to the truck bed is grantedwhen the rear wall 106 and outer side walls 204 are open. Furthermore,the location of the side wall hinge line 210 allows the outer side wall204 to swing up and out of the way to reduce the risk of a head injuryto someone accessing cargo in the truck bed.

[0043] Turning now to FIG. 3, a side view of the shell 100 is depictedand described. The outer side wall 204 has a form that preferablycontinues the basic shape and flow of the truck to which it is to beattached. Because truck bed dimensions differ between models andmanufacturers, a separate shell must be made for each production truckmodel. Consequently, designing and producing a plurality of differenttruck shells presents economic difficulties. One way to efficientlyproduce many different shells is by making and using fiberglass molds.As is known in the prior art, moldable attachments for trucks andautomotive vehicles generally include a phenolic saturated fiberglassmat molded into a desired shape. In a secondary step, a cloth decorativeouter layer may be attached to the part to hide imperfections in the rawfiberglass. Alternatively, the fiberglass may be sanded and finished toeliminate surface imperfections. Once an initial mold is created, thisprocess can be repeated to economically create multiple parts.

[0044] In one embodiment, a single mold is used to create the front wall206, top ceiling 108, and support walls 202 with the integrated moistureflange 216. Additional molds are used to create the left and right outerside walls 204, which are subsequently attached as previously described.After attachment of the outer side walls, the component parts areworked, such as by sanding and buffing, to create a continuous finalshape.

[0045] A pull latch 118 is attached to the outer side wall 204 toprovide a handle for actuating the latch mechanism mounted on the insideof the shell, which will be described in detail hereinafter. Notably,from this vantage point, there are no visible seams where the outer sidewall 204 contacts the remainder of the shell 100. The seam lines arelocated on the top, front, and rear surfaces, and thus, are not visiblefrom this side view. This allows the entire outer side wall 204 to beopened to allow maximum access to the truck bed.

[0046] Now referencing FIG. 6, a cutaway perspective view of one outerside wall 204 is shown and described in conjunction with the latchmechanism. A brief reference to FIG. 3 shows that a pull latch comprisesa handle portion 302 and a cylindrical portion 304. The cylindricalportion 304 protrudes through the outer side wall 204 and biases thehandle portion 302 to the outer side wall 204. The two portions areconfigured such that pulling on the handle portion 302 also displacesthe cylindrical portion 304. The cylindrical portion 304 further has astandard lock therein that, when locked, prevents movement of theattached handle portion 302. Now returning to FIG. 6, the cylindricalportion 304 protrudes through the outer side wall 204 and an interiorview of the cylindrical portion 304 shows that a pair of pull cables 702have one end attached to the cylindrical portion 304 while the oppositeend of the pull cables 702 is attached to a receiving latch 704. As theouter side wall 204 closes, the receiving latch 704 engages theretaining member 706, which causes the receiving latch 704 to pivot andclose around the retaining member 706 mounted to an interior portion ofthe moisture flange 216. The receiving latch 704 is configured to remainlocked onto the retaining member 706 until an outside force, such asfrom the pull cable 702, is applied. In this manner, the outer side wall204 is maintained in a closed position. As the pull latch 118 is pulledoutwardly, its outward displacement causes the pull cable 702 totension, thus translating a releasing force to the receiving latch 704.In one embodiment, the receiving latch 704 is only releasable by a forceexerted on it by the pull cable 702. Therefore, when the pull latch 118is locked into position such that it cannot be actuated from outside thevehicle, the outer side wall 204 cannot be opened from outside thevehicle. However, the cylindrical portion 304 of the pull latch 118 isnot constrained from rotational movement, and when the interior portionof the pull latch 118 is rotated from inside the vehicle, the pullcables 702 are tensioned which translates a releasing force to thereceiving latch 704. In this way, when locked, the outer side wall 204can only be opened from the inside. This preferred embodiment describesa pair of pull cables 702; however, a single pull cable can be attachedto both receiving latches 704, and pass through a hole formed in thepull latch 118 to achieve the same result.

[0047] The latching hardware, including the pull cables and receivinglatch, can optionally be covered (as shown in FIG. 2 at 224), thushiding the hardware on the inside of the vehicle, and protecting it fromdamage from shifting cargo.

[0048] Accordingly, it is now apparent that the truck shell 100envisioned herein will permit increased access to the bed of a pick uptruck by providing openable side doors. More specifically, the entireside wall of the shell is openable to permit increased access.Additionally, a moisture flange is provided for maintaining asubstantially water tight seal with the side door to inhibit water fromentering the truck bed and potentially damaging cargo carried therein.

[0049] Although the description above contains many specific examples,these should not be construed as limiting the scope but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments.Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the followingclaims, rather than by the examples given.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shell for a motor vehicle, the shell beingattachable to a chassis of the motor vehicle so as to, in combinationtherewith, define an enclosed cargo compartment wherein the shellcomprises: at least one side opening aligned generally with an exteriorside surface of the vehicle; and a outer side wall hinged above andinboard of the exterior side surface and completely covering the atleast one side opening such that, in an open position, access isprovided to the cargo compartment via the side opening.
 2. The shell ofclaim 1, wherein the shell is removably attached to the chassis.
 3. Theshell of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall is at least partiallytransparent.
 4. The shell of claim 1, further comprising a latchsecuring the outer side wall in a closed position.
 5. The shell of claim4, wherein the latch, in a locked position, locks the outer side wall inthe closed position from the outside the vehicle and is operable frominside the cargo compartment to unlock the outer side wall from theclosed position.
 6. The shell of claim 1, wherein the shell furthercomprises a moisture flange extending outwardly from the periphery ofthe at least one side opening wherein the moisture flange is configuredto direct incident water around the at least one side opening.
 7. Theshell of claim 6, further comprising a seal member attached to themoisture flange wherein, in the closed position, the seal memberresiliently compresses against the outer side wall so as to seal the atleast one side opening.
 8. The shell of claim 6, wherein the outer sidewall overlaps the moisture flange along at least upper and opposite sideportions thereof.
 9. The shell of claim 1, wherein the hinged connectionof the outer side wall is covered by the outer side wall in at least aclosed position.
 10. The shell of claim 1, further comprising a rearopening and an outer rear wall covering the rear opening such that, inan open position, access is provided to the cargo compartment via therear opening.
 11. The shell of claim 10, wherein, in closed positions,the outer rear wall and outer side wall substantially abut each other.12. The shell of claim 11, wherein the abutment of the outer rear andside walls is positioned along a rear surface of the shell.
 13. Theshell of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall comprises a generallyplanar surface and inwardly extending flanges at front and rear edgesthereof wherein, in a closed position, the planar surface is generallyparallel with the opening and the flanges extend generally perpendicularthereto.
 14. A shell for a motor vehicle, the shell being attachable toa chassis of the motor vehicle so as to, in combination therewith,define an enclosed cargo compartment wherein the shell comprises: atleast one side opening; a moisture flange extending outwardly from theperiphery of the at least one side opening wherein the moisture flangeis configured to direct incident water around the at least one sideopening; and a movable outer side wall covering the at least one sideopening such that, in an open position, access is provided to the cargocompartment via the side opening.
 15. The shell of claim 14, wherein theshell is removably attached to the chassis.
 16. The shell of claim 14,wherein the outer side wall is at least partially transparent.
 17. Theshell of claim 14, further comprising a latch securing the outer sidewall in a closed position.
 18. The shell of claim 17, wherein the latch,in a locked position, locks the outer side wall in the closed positionfrom the outside the vehicle and is operable from inside the cargocompartment to unlock the outer side wall from the closed position. 19.The shell of claim 14, further comprising a seal member attached to themoisture flange wherein, in the closed position, the seal memberresiliently compresses against the outer side wall so as to seal the atleast one side opening.
 20. The shell of claim 14, wherein the outerside wall overlaps the moisture flange along at least upper and oppositeside portions thereof.
 21. The shell of claim 14, wherein the outer sidewall is pivotably movable.
 22. The shell of claim 14, further comprisinga rear opening and an outer rear wall covering the rear opening suchthat, in an open position, access is provided to the cargo compartmentvia the rear opening.
 23. The shell of claim 22, wherein, in closedpositions, the outer rear wall and outer side wall substantially abuteach other.
 24. The shell of claim 23, wherein the abutment of the outerrear and side walls is positioned along a rear surface of the shell. 25.The shell of claim 14, wherein the outer side wall comprises a generallyplanar surface and inwardly extending flanges at front and rear edgesthereof wherein, in a closed position, the planar surface is generallyparallel with the opening and the flanges extend generally perpendicularthereto.
 26. A motor vehicle comprising: a chassis defining a passengercompartment; and a shell attached to the chassis so as to define anenclosed cargo compartment wherein the shell comprises: at least oneside opening aligned generally with an exterior side surface of thevehicle; and a outer side wall hinged above and inboard of the exteriorside surface and completely covering the at least one side opening suchthat, in an open position, access is provided to the cargo compartmentvia the side opening.
 27. The motor vehicle of claim 26, wherein theshell is removably attached to the chassis.
 28. The motor vehicle ofclaim 26, wherein the outer side wall is at least partially transparent.29. The motor vehicle of claim 26, further comprising a latch securingthe outer side wall in a closed position.
 30. The motor vehicle of claim29, wherein the latch, in a locked position, locks the outer side wallin the closed position from the outside the vehicle and is operable frominside the cargo compartment to unlock the outer side wall from theclosed position.
 31. The motor vehicle of claim 26, wherein the shellfurther comprises a moisture flange extending outwardly from theperiphery of the at least one side opening wherein the moisture flangeis configured to direct incident water around the at least one sideopening.
 32. The motor vehicle of claim 31, further comprising a sealmember attached to the moisture flange wherein, in the closed position,the seal member resiliently compresses against the outer side wall so asto seal the at least one side opening.
 33. The motor vehicle of claim31, wherein the outer side wall overlaps the moisture flange along atleast upper and opposite side portions thereof.
 34. The motor vehicle ofclaim 26, wherein the hinged connection of the outer side wall iscovered by the outer side wall in at least a closed position.
 35. Themotor vehicle of claim 26, further comprising a rear opening and anouter rear wall covering the rear opening such that, in an openposition, access is provided to the cargo compartment via the rearopening.
 36. The motor vehicle of claim 35, wherein, in closedpositions, the outer rear wall and outer side wall substantially abuteach other.
 37. The motor vehicle of claim 36, wherein the abutment ofthe outer rear and side walls is positioned along a rear surface of theshell.
 38. The motor vehicle of claim 26, wherein the outer side wallcomprises a generally planar surface and inwardly extending flanges atfront and rear edges thereof wherein, in a closed position, the planarsurface is generally parallel with the opening and the flanges extendgenerally perpendicular thereto.